Champion Hurdle-winning owner Peter Deal, 84, remembered by Martin Pipe

Peter Deal, a close friend and trainer of Make A Stand, passed away over the weekend. He had been involved in the racing industry for almost 50 years as an owner and held senior roles such as a Jockey Club member and president of the Retraining of Racehorses charity. Deal’s most notable success came with Make A Stand, who won the County Hurdle at the 1998 Cheltenham Festival. This victory, along with his Imperial Cup win five days prior, led to a memorable flying dismount by jockey Tony McCoy. Deal also owned other successful horses such as Blowing Wind and Wogan. He was known for his involvement in syndicates and was a founding member of the Royal Ascot Racing Club. Deal’s partnership with trainer Martin Pipe resulted in many victories, with Pipe praising him as a tremendous owner and a fantastic person to work with. Deal was also passionate about caring for retired racehorses and served as president of the Retraining of Racehorses charity for three years. He was involved in various other activities, including appearing in the procession at Royal Ascot in 2015 and attending cricket matches at Lord’s with his racing friends. He is survived by his wife Pam and daughter Michelle.